Julián Castro Has No Interest in Running DNC
PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Housing Secretary Julián Castro says he has no interest in running the Democratic National Committee in the wake of the resignation of Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
"That's not on my radar screen," Castro told The Texas Tribune on Monday night here at the Democratic National Convention.
The former San Antonio mayor has been talked about as a potential successor to Wasserman Schultz, who announced Sunday she is stepping down following a leak of DNC emails that showed the committee being less than neutral during the presidential nominating process. DNC Vice Chair Donna Brazile has been tapped to serve as interim chair through the November elections.
Among those pushing for Castro as DNC chair has been the Texas Democratic Party, which put out a statement Sunday saying Castro or his brother, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, "have what it takes to pick up the reins and move the party forward."
Julián Castro has also been in headlines recently as a potential running mate for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She gave that nod Friday to U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.
"Who knows what’s next?" Castro said Monday night. "I have a positive outlook toward the future, and I’ve always believed that if you keep your head down and work hard that good things are going to happen."
Castro said he is excited to support the Clinton-Kaine ticket.
"Tim Kaine is just a fantastic vice presidential nominee," Castro said. "I’m confident that he’ll do a great job, and I look forward to being as supportive as they need me to be."
Information about the authors
Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.